


Wedding Bells

by LunaTiger, Vanalosswen



Series: Little Things, Big Changes [1]
Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Wedding Fluff, Wedding Planning, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-04
Updated: 2018-12-04
Packaged: 2019-09-07 09:57:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16851883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LunaTiger/pseuds/LunaTiger, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vanalosswen/pseuds/Vanalosswen
Summary: With weddings comes new life and new challenges.  Love is in the air for the group, as new plans come for what is to come in the future.  What will our former Phantom Thieves do when their adult life comes so fast?





	1. Chapter 1

A few years had passed since their days of changing hearts in the Metaverse and saving the world from the god of control. Nowadays, the Phantom Thieves were just living more normal lives as college students and adults. In the time, relationships had bloomed to life amongst the group: Ren and Makoto were engaged to be married, along with Ryuji and Ann, Futaba and Yusuke were starting to express their feelings for one another, and even Haru was seeing someone. It was needless to say that they were living pretty full and happy lives. At least once a week, the group would meet at Leblanc to talk and just be together, keeping their friendships strong. 

Today was one of those days, as the young adults sat around a table, drinking coffee and chatting about life and school. It almost seemed as if nothing had changed over nearly three years, other than the topics being discussed. 

“The next few weeks couldn’t go by any slower!” Ann said with a huff before leaning against her fiancé, who was reading something on his phone. 

“Yeah, but there’s still a lot that needs to be done..” Ryuji said, looking at her. 

“A double wedding should be so much fun!” Haru stated, smiling while sipping at her coffee. “I’m so excited for all of you!” 

“Isn’t marriage just a paper, though?” Morgana asked, jumping up on the table. “I mean, you guys already live together. It’s like you’re married already… why do you need this big thing anyway?” 

“It’s a celebration, Mona-Chan!” Haru said, quite enthusiastically. She insisted on paying for everything, even though they told her not to. 

Makoto smiled at this, nodding a little.   
“It is, and it will also feel a little bit more… official, I suppose.” She looked over the rest of the group. “Thank you all so much though for all of your help.” 

Yusuke gave a small smile, nodding.   
“It will be a grand occasion, and I am honored to have helped.” 

“You did make the designs for the invitations.” Ren said, smiling at him. 

“Yeah!” Ryuji said, looking over. “Dude, they turned out freakin’ amazing! You should be proud!” 

Futaba looked up from her computer, joining in on the conversation.   
“The invitations are nice, but there isn’t a huge guest list. Mostly us, family members, and some people Ren knows from Inaba. Don’t weddings usually have a ton of people? Like.. at least 100?” 

“We don’t need a ton of people.” Ann said, smiling and leaning up against Ryuji. “Just the people we care about, plus a few.” 

“I agree.” Makoto stated, nodding along. “Though, I wish it would come sooner. All of this planning is exhausting. With how much I’ve been doing at school, I haven’t even had time to pick out a dress yet…” she sighed, tapping her finger on the table. 

“Well that’s something we should do!” Ann said, straightening up. “I have to as well, and I think it would be so fun to go together!” 

Haru perked up, smiling at them. “Oh, would you mind if I tagged along? That sounds absolutely divine!” 

Makoto smiled, nodding. “Of course!” She said, smiling up at Ren. “We will be sure to surprise you.” Makoto said before kissing his cheek. 

Ren chuckled a bit, nodding. “I wouldn’t doubt it for a second.” He told her, giving her a small kiss in return. 

“So it’s settled, then?” Haru asked, tilting her head a bit to the side. 

The rest agreed, finishing up their coffees and taking the rest of the time to just relax in each other’s company. 

———————

After that, the girls made a plan to go out shopping for wedding dresses and the bridesmaid dresses. Ann had called Shiho, telling her the plan as she went with them. After all, she was Ann’s maid of honor, it was only fair that she was along for the shopping. Futaba had stayed behind, making a music playlist for the reception(which could either go extremely well, or horrible). The wedding was only a few weeks away, and there was so much that needed to be done. 

Ann and Makoto looked through wedding dresses, neither of them sure what to pick. They had their colors picked out already: red, black, and white. A subtle reminder to their days as the Phantom Thieves. 

“All of these are nice, but…” Makoto sighed, shaking her head. There wasn’t time to get a custom made without it costing an arm and leg, so what were they going to do? Even if Haru had offered to pay, she wasn’t just going to do that to her friend. “I have this idea in my head for what I want, and I can’t seem to figure it out…” 

Ann nodded in agreement, walking back over. “Yeah, I keep finding things I think would be absolutely perfect for you, but not what I want for me…” 

Makoto looked at her. “Same here, I guess that’s what happens when it’s a double wedding, huh?” 

In that moment, an idea popped into Shiho’s head, since she had been helping Ann try to decide.   
“What about this, though? What if… you found things for one another? You seem to know what would be nice.”

The two looked at the other. That wasn’t a bad idea. Not in the slightest, actually. Besides, that could be fun! With that, the two nodded at the other and were off. Before long, they were able to find exactly what the other was looking for, putting them on before coming out for the others to see. 

Makoto had a lovely, strapless floor length dress with a black lace trim, red gloves reaching almost all the way up her arms.   
Ann’s dress was a bit different. It was short in the front, just above her knees while it had a long train with roses accenting the edges. It was almost strapless, but had lace covering her chest and arms like sleeves. 

Haru gasped when she saw them, putting her hands on her mouth while smiling.   
“You two look… absolutely beautiful!” She said, going over to hug them. “Oh! And I found these for you!” She said before walking over to where she was and pulling out two matching veils, both with red roses accenting them. 

“Haru-Chan… these are-“ Makoto was at a loss for words as she smiled, looking at Ann. 

“They’re perfect!” Ann said, making a little squealing noise before hugging her three friends. “Thank you… really, this means so much!” 

Makoto nodded, doing her best not to start crying. She was just so happy! Not only was she marrying the love of her life, but she got to share it with the people who mean the most to her. She couldn’t be more happy! 

Not long after, the girls had the dresses paid for and packed up, taking them back to their homes and meeting back up to work on more. 

——————-

On the other side of town, Ren and Ryuji were instructed to order the cake. They had all decided on a design and what flavors they wanted, all they needed to do was order it and give the bakery the specific instructions as to what they wanted. What they had decided on was a three tier cake: the large, bottom tier would be black with red stars, the middle tier would be red and black checkerboard pattern, and finally the top tier would be white with black designs. 

It was all planned out. Ren and Ryuji walked into the bakery, talking with each other with a sketch of what the cake would look like, courtesy of Yusuke. The two walked up to the counter, Ren taking charge and looking at the person behind it. 

“Hello, we would like to order a cake for our wedding.” He said, not realizing how it looked with Ryuji standing beside him. 

The clerk blinked, looking at the two. “Oh? Yes, of course…” They said before getting out the order form. “Just put down the information here. When will you two be married?” They asked, looking over the two young men. 

The two blinked, looking at each other and just giving that look. 

“Oh, about two weeks from now.” Ren said, wrapping an arm around Ryuji, making him smirk. 

“That’s right, we are so excited. Aren’t we, Dear.” Ryuji stated, Ren trying his damn best not to bust out laughing at that comment. This was almost too perfect, and if any of the others knew about this they would never hear the end of it. 

“Oh, most definitely.” Ren retorted, smirking to himself. Oh boy, would he have a time telling Makoto about what happened. 

Ryuji looked like he was nearly at his breaking point, trying not to break out in hysterical laughter. But he was committed at this point! He wrapped his arm around Ren’s waist, looking up at him. “I almost can’t wait any longer~” 

That was it. Ren couldn’t take it anymore. It was in that moment that he just broke out laughing, letting go of Ryuji and doing his best to compose himself before turning to the young woman behind the counter. “No, it’s not like that. He’s my best friend, and we are having a double wedding.” he explained, smiling and putting the cake design down on the counter and filling out the form in front of him while Ryuji talked to the person behind the counter, showing off pictures of Ann, and Makoto for Ren. 

Before long, they were sitting at a table, talking about what they wanted for the cake, and what the girls wanted with it as well. Neither of the young men had realized how many little details went into just a cake! However, before they knew it, everything was organized with the bakery and they were on their way. Ren sent a message to Makoto, asking her how things were going on their end. 

R: Hey, we just finished up with the cake, how are you all?

M: We are doing great! Got our dresses and such, and now we are headed over to Leblanc for some coffee. 

R: Can we join you? 

M: I don’t see why not. We already sent our things to be put for safekeeping until the wedding.

R: Okay. We will see you soon then. I love you

M: Love you too. 

Ren smiled, putting his phone in his pocket and looking at Ryuji.   
“The girls are headed to Leblanc, I told them we would meet them there.”

“That sounds great right now.” Ryuji stated, sighing. “Who knew something as simple as a cake would be so stressful…” He said, still a little confused by that. 

“Weddings in general are stressful.” Ren said, walking. “But it will be all worth it when the day finally does come.” 

“Hell yeah!” Ryuji said, laughing a bit to himself before shaking his head. “Man, I can’t believe we are getting married…” He said, musing over the thought. “I mean, I liked Ann for a real long time before I finally asked her out…” He remembered the day well. Valentine’s Day while they were in their second year at Shujin. After everything that had happened in the Metaverse, Ryuji just felt like after all they had been through, maybe a relationship with her wouldn’t be so bad. He never expected her to accept, though. 

The two talked more on their way over to Leblanc. When they got there, the four girls were sitting together in a booth, talking and laughing amongst each other. Ren smiled, walking over and sitting down at the counter, facing them.   
“You all look like you had a good time.” he said, gazing at Makoto. 

Makoto looked over at him, smiling. “Well, it was a successful trip, if that’s what you’re asking.” She said, sipping at her coffee. 

“Well, I would hope it was.” He said, laughing a little to himself. “Our trip was… interesting to say the least.” Ren stated, glancing over at Ryuji. 

Ryuji laughed to himself, nodding. “You could say that again!” 

Ann looked up, blinking a bit and tilting her head. “What do you mean by that?” She asked, noticeably curious about the boy’s adventure. “How interesting was it?” 

The two young men looked at one another before looking back to the others. “We will tell you later.” Ryuji said, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Ren nodded a bit, smiling before going over to Makoto’s side and wrapping his arm around her. “I can’t believe how fast this has come up…” he said, thinking to himself about how the wedding would go. There was still a lot to do, but at least most of the big things were taken care of. ‘Take care of the big things and the little things will take care of themselves’, as it’s said. 

Ann smiled a bit, looking up at Ryuji. “I think that it’s taking too long. I want to be married already!” She said, pouting slightly. “We’ve been engaged for over a year now, and I just want to be married!” 

Ryuji smiled a bit at her before walking over and stroking her hair. “Don’t worry… it will be here really soon. We are finally going to be married, and I promise I will never walk out on you…” There was a sense of sadness in his voice as he said that, but he shook his head before smiling and kissing the crown of her head. “And you know I don’t back down on my promises!” 

The blue eyed girl looked up at him, frowning slightly before turning around to hug him. “I know you won’t…” she said, smiling up at him. “You aren’t like that, and I know you keep your promises..” Ann said, kissing his cheek. “You worry too much, Ryuji.” 

He chuckled under his breath, a small smile crossing the corners of his lips before looking at her. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. I mean it, though! And when we have kids, I promise I’ll be the best dad ever-” He said, not really realizing what he was implying at first. 

Ann blinked, blushing and looking up at him. “Wait, so you do want kids…?” she asked, a bit flustered by the idea right now. 

Ryuji looked at her, smiling and laughing a bit nervously. “I-I mean… well, yeah. One day, sure. Kids sound like fun, don’t you think? I mean, unless you don’t want any, that’s cool too. I just thought that…” he trailed off a bit, the idea in his mind that he wanted to prove that he could be a better father than his father was. 

Ann smiled, kissing his cheek and taking his hand. “Let’s just worry about the wedding for now, then we can talk about little ones.” She said, a gentle smile on her face. Ryuji nodded in agreement, looking at her. 

Ren and Makoto smiled a bit at this interaction, going back to their conversation about floral arrangements. Roses, of course, were going to be the main flower in their arrangements, but stargazer lilies were also up in the air for an accent. The problem with them, though, were that they were large and pink. It threw off the red theme just slightly. Even working in the flower shop, Ren was at a bit of a loss. 

“And I thought the cake was difficult, but the flowers? This is nearly impossible to figure out what will be perfect…” Ren said, sighing a bit to himself. 

Sojiro overheard this, placing a cup of coffee in front of Ren. “You kids are stressing too much over this. Take a break, relax for a minute.” He said, walking back behind the counter. He was right, they had been non stop working on this, not really taking time to just relax and think about something other than the wedding. Which was slowly draining not only their energy, but a little bit of their sanity as well. They did need a break. 

“Yeah, but what are we going to do?” Makoto asked, leaning back with a sigh. “It’s not like we can just get away right now with the wedding so close.” 

“Well…” Haru piped up, putting her hands together. “How about a spa day for you four? I’m sure a full day will be just what you need. We can take care of everything else, you all just focus on the actual event itself.” 

“Mm, that sounds nice…” Ann said, musing at the idea. “I could go for being pampered.” She said, smiling. 

“Yeah, but ain’t spas super pricey?” Ryuji asked, rubbing his fiancés shoulders and getting a small noise out of her. 

“Don’t worry about that.” Haru said, smiling at them with that smile that they couldn’t argue with. 

“Haru,” Ren said, sitting up a bit. “We can’t ask you to do that. You’ve done so much for us already.” She really had. Not only was she paying for everything, but she insisted on her boyfriend to do the catering for the reception. Not that he complained, he was like a lovesick puppy who would do anything she asked him to do. Yori was also a Shujin alumni who graduated a year before Haru and Makoto did. Before leaving for Europe to study culinary arts, he had confessed feelings for Haru. Once he returned and heard about her engagement being broken off, he asked if he had a chance. Which Haru happily accepted. 

“Nonsense!” She said, her little smile intensifying. “I insist upon it.”   
The rest of them knew that they weren’t going to get around this. Once Haru’s mind was made up, there was no changing it. 

Ren sighed, nodding. “Well, if you insist.” He said, chuckling to himself. “I suppose there’s no way around it.” The others laughed lightly at that comment, knowing that it was true. 

 

——————

 

Their day at the spa was planned for a few days before their wedding date, so that they could relax with the celebration being so close. The two couples arrived at the spa that Haru had picked out for them, she had rented it out just for them so that they could have a bit of privacy. They kept insisting that she didn’t need to go that far, only to get ‘you need to be fully relaxed’ in return. In the past week, the rest of the little things had been taken care of; the flowers, the final guest list, the menu, everything was all set. Naturally, there were still small meetings to be done and the recital, but other than that everything was in order. 

Massages were the first thing that were on the agenda, deep tissue and full body massages before the girls went off to get manicures and pedicures. Honestly, this was exactly what they needed. Haru was right, they needed this time to just relax. 

“I can’t believe how close it is…” Makoto mused, leaning back as she got her feet rubbed. 

Ann nodded at her statement, smiling. “It really did come super fast.” She said, closing her eyes and relaxing. “I’m so excited!” 

“As am I.” Makoto responded, smiling to herself. “Since we have a break off of school, Ren and I can go on our honeymoon without having to worry about taking time off.” That was just like Makoto, worrying about the performance in her classes, and how those choices would affect them later. 

“Yeah, you’re graduating at the end of this year, aren’t you?” 

“Yes, I am.” Makoto said with a smile. “And Ren a year after that.” 

“You seem to have everything planned out.” 

“Well, not everything, but it is nice to have a plan.” 

Ann nodded a bit, she had that much right. A plan was always helpful, even if you had to wing it after that. “You’re right on the dot with that one.” 

Makoto gave a small smile, looking over at her. “My plan, for now, is to graduate and then have Ren do the same. After that, I’m not sure what’s going to happen. I’m sure we will figure it out, though. What about you two?” 

Ann smiled back, but shrugged a little. “I’m not really sure yet. I guess we'll just have to see where life takes us. I have my modeling work, and Ryuji has been going to school. So I’m sure we will just continue with that…” 

“Understandable, really it’s just 

getting back to normal life.” Makoto said, smiling to herself. 

The two girls talked for a while more, relaxing and just enjoying their time at the spa. The guys were having similar conversations, as if paralleling the girls and talking about similar topics. With the wedding so close, they couldn’t help but talk about the future. After all, this was a huge step in their lives, and it was only natural to wonder what was to come.

 

——————

 

The rest of the day at the spa was mostly spent with chatting amongst the four, and all around relaxing before they parted ways. With how relaxed they really were, they were honestly ready to sleep. 

Makoto stretched, sighing in relief. “That was nice, I really needed that..” she said, smiling over at her fiancé. “How do you feel?” She asked, walking over to go get changed into more comfortable clothes before plopping down on the bed and letting out a deep breath. 

Ren rolled over and wrapped an arm around her waist, cuddling into her. “I feel amazing,” he said. “Loose and relaxed, it’s really nice.”

Makoto smiled, giggling lightly to herself and cuddling into his chest. “I’m glad, me too.” She smiled, looking up at him before wrapping her arms around him. “Just a few more days…” She glanced at the ring that was on his finger with a smile, remembering their proposal a few years prior. It was on her birthday, and it was the best surprise she could have asked for. 

“Hard to believe it’s happening so soon, after all this time,” Ren admitted, playing with his engagement ring. “It always felt like something that was going to be ‘someday’, you know? And now it’s happening.” He kissed her temple gently, sighing in delight. 

“I know just what you mean.” Makoto said, smiling more when he kissed her head. “That ‘someday’ will be here in just a few days.” She said, looking up at him before placing a kiss on his chin. “I’m honestly just so excited. A little nervous as well, but I’ve heard that’s normal. At least, I think?”

“I’ve heard that, too,” Ren agreed. “I think it’s normal. It’s a pretty big step. Even though we’ve been together so long, it’s a big thing.” He ran his fingers gently through her hair, tipping her head up and kissing her lips lightly.

Makoto smiled gently against his lips, kissing him back softly before nodding. “I suppose so.” She looked up at him, reaching up to play with his hair. “Haru has been incredibly insistent on everything… I can only imagine what it’ll be like when she gets married,” she said, smiling a little to herself. 

“I’ve heard the term ‘bridezilla’...” Ren said with a twinkle in his eye. “Honestly, I’m sure whenever Yori pops the question, she’ll have a very clear idea of what she wants and will make it happen.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that for a second. I feel like they’ll be married within a few months after he asks.” Makoto said, thinking about how Haru might want to do things. It was clear that Yori wanted to ask her, it just hadn’t happened yet. However, everyone knew that it would be soon. 

“Probably,” Ren agreed. “They waited longer than we did to start dating, after all.” He stretched, his joints popping delightfully as he groaned. “I need to do spa days more often. I feel like a lump of happiness.” He wiggled his toes. “First time I’ve ever had a pedicure.”

“I agree, I can go for being pampered a little more as well.” Makoto said in a giggle, kissing his cheek. “And how does that feel?” She asked, a light, teasing tone to her voice. 

“Letting someone else handle my feet was weird,” Ren admitted, wrapping his arms around her and tugging her to lay on his chest. “But once I got used to it, I liked it. Though the bottoms of my feet are ridiculously ticklish; the scrubbing part almost had me kicking someone in the face.”

“Oh really…?” Makoto asked, a smirk crossing her face before looking up at him with a somewhat devious smile. Oh, would she have fun with that later. She was taking that into account for when she needed to get what she wanted out of him. 

“I feel it only fair to warn you that I will kick you if you tickle me,” Ren said, returning her grin. “Just so you know, love o’ my life.”

“Oh, my love, I would like to see you try.” Makoto said in response, looking up at him. “Who said I wouldn’t fight back? I don’t care if it’s you, there will be consequences.” 

“I feel like we’d have to go to war,” Ren said mock-solemnly. “That would be uncomfortable. Let’s avoid it.”

“Hmmm, alright.” Makoto said, snuggling closer into his chest. “I have other methods of getting you to talk, anyway,” she teased, smiling to herself. “And you know that.” 

“Those are far more effective,” Ren agreed, his voice a soft purr as he ran his fingertips up and down her spine. “I’ll agree to pretty much anything, depending on what you do.”

Makoto squeaked lightly at his touch, blushing and looking up at him. “No fair, you caught me off guard…” she said, mockingly sounding upset. 

“Oh, did I?” Ren asked, grinning down at her as he slipped a hand under her shirt to stroke her skin. “How about this?”

“Well played, Joker. Well played…” Makoto said, moving closer to him. “I hate when you do that, you make it so I can’t say no and you look at me with that stupid-adorable face of yours and I just-“ she sighed, looking at him. “It makes me just… melt.” She said, smiling lightly as she put her hand on her fiancé’s cheek. “I love you.” 

“I love you, my Queen,” Ren replied, leaning into her touch as he closed his eyes for a moment. “You do realize you do the same thing to me as well, right? When you look up at me with your enormous, lovely eyes, I can’t resist you.” He opened his eyes, taking his glasses off and putting them aside.

Makoto blushed lightly, but smiled and began to play with his hair. “You know, I really hope that you do your hair back for the wedding.” She said, looking into his eyes. “You have such pretty eyes, and I want to actually see them for a change.” There was a light, teasing tone in her voice for the last part, but Ren could tell that she was being genuine about that part. “Please? For me?” 

“Mmm,” Ren hummed. “I think I can do that. I might even put product in my hair and comb it back. Do you want me to wear contacts for the ceremony, or would that be too drastic a change?” She’d asked for so little as far as details in the wedding, and this seemed like an easy thing to do.

“Whatever you feel comfortable with..” Makoto said with a smile before kissing his nose. “If you’re happy and comfortable, that’s all that matters to me…” she said, humming gently to herself while playing with his hair more. 

“I haven’t worn contacts in years,” Ren mused. “I’d have to see if my prescription has changed, and get new lenses.” He considered, then shrugged. “Too much effort, and I prefer my glasses now.”

Makoto groaned lightly, closing her eyes and nodding. “It is too much work, especially with the wedding being so close.” She said, laying on his chest. “I like your glasses, they have a certain charm to them…”

“They do a good job of framing my eyes,” Ren agreed, running his fingers through her hair. “Especially since I got the smaller frames.”

“They look great on you, I like these frames much more than your old ones.” Makoto said, making a small noise of relief as he played with her hair. “We should probably get some rest soon, though.” She stated, wrapping her arms a bit more snuggly around him. 

“Mmm, I suppose,” Ren agreed with a yawn. “I don’t wanna get up and turn the light off, though.”

“How many pillows and small objects do you think it would take to hit it and turn it off?” Makoto asked, mostly joking but part of her wanted to see that, even though it would be more effort than it was worth. 

“Most of the ones on the bed,” Ren chuckled. “I knew we should have gone with the press switch, not the flip switch.” He squeezed her gently before getting up and padding over to the light switch. “Would you mind putting my glasses on the bedside table?”

“I can do that.” Makoto said before picking them up and placing them gently on the table. She shuffled herself under the covers, waiting for Ren to come back. 

Turning the light off, Ren felt his way back to the bed. He found the end of the bed and patted his way up, finding Makoto’s feet and patting his way up her body with a grin.

Makoto laughed lightly, grabbing his hand and pulling him down. “Come on, sleep. Now.” She said as he could practically hear her smiling in her voice. 

“But Mako,” Ren chuckled, flopping on top of her. “No, you’re right. Lots to do before the wedding.”

“That’s what I thought.” She said, smiling a bit before cuddling up next to him. “Good night, I love you…” 

“Good night,” Ren yawned, cuddling her close. “I love you, my Mako.”

 

—————

 

Meanwhile, similar happenings were going on with Ryuji and Ann. The two were cuddled up on their futon, relaxing and enjoying each other’s company. 

“I still can’t believe we’re gettin’ married in a couple days…” Ryuji said, playing with Ann’s hair. “Are you sure that you want to marry me?” he asked, still a bit nervous and unsure of himself. He loved Ann, and wanted to spend his life with her, but was he really what she was looking for? 

Ann opened her eyes to look at him before sitting up a bit. “Of course I’m sure, Ryuji. Why?” she asked him, just staring at him. 

“I don’t know, I just…” he sighed a bit, running his hand through his hair. “I just thought that you wanted someone better than me,” Ryuji stated, slightly looking away from her. “I’m not the most strong or good lookin’ guy out there, so why me?” 

Ann blinked before smiling and shaking her head a bit. “Ryuji… it’s because you’re you,” she said, placing her hand delicately on his face. “You have a good heart, and you follow it. I love that about you, you’re driven and determined. And who said you weren’t good looking?” she said, winking a little at him. 

Ryuji chuckled lightly, resting his head against her hand. “Yeah? I guess so…” he said, glancing at her. “But I still think I don’t deserve you.” 

Ann rolled her eyes before shoving a pillow in his face. “Stop that-!” 

“What? I’m only speaking the truth,” he said, his voice slightly muffled by the pillow. 

“Shut up. I love you and we are getting married in a few days.” Ann said in response, pulling the pillow away before kissing him gently. “After that, we can start our new life together. Okay?” 

Ryuji looked up at her, returning the kiss before nodding. “Yeah, you’re right. I love you too, more than anything. I promise I’ll be the best husband, and do my best to be the man that you deserve.” He said, wrapping his arms around her waist. 

“Ryuji…” Ann said with a sigh before wiggling out of his arms, making him make a small confused sound. “When will you learn that you already are?” She asked, crossing her arms over her body. “You’re everything I could ask for, plus some. I’ll make you sleep on the porch if you don’t accept it!” She said, her voice slightly teasing, but there was a tone that she had that he knew she wasn’t kidding. 

“Alright, alright…” Ryuji said, throwing his hands up in surrender. “Still, hard to believe I managed to land the hottest girl in school.” He said, smirking to himself. 

Ann smirked a bit, hitting him with a pillow while laughing a little. “And all I got was the rebel,” she said, playfully teasing him. 

“Well, you know how the world can be. Someone has to do it, right?” Ryuji asked, looking at her. 

Ann nodded in agreement, kissing his cheek. “You got that right! And that’s why we changed the hearts of rotten adults. Hard to believe we are adults now, though.” She said, resulting in being hit by Ryuji’s pillow and giving off a squeak. 

“Stop talkin’ like that. You know we are the same deep down.” He said, laughing lightly. 

“Did you just hit me?” Ann asked, looking at him before hitting him back with her pillow. 

This ended in a pillow fight, followed by endless laughing and cuddling together on the futon as they chatted about times past. 

“Hey… you know I love you, right?” Ryuji asked, wrapping his arms around her before pulling the cover over the two of them. 

Ann smiled, shifting closer before nodding. “Of course I do. I wouldn’t be marrying you if I didn’t feel the same. We should get some sleep.” She said before kissing him softly and resting her head on his chest. 

“A’right. Goodnight. I love you.” 

“I love you too…” 

Ryuji played with Ann’s hair as she quickly fell asleep. He stayed awake a bit longer, simply admiring the young woman who was on his chest. He felt so lucky that he had her in his life, and she would be forever. Ryuji rubbed his fiancés head and back as she peacefully slept, smiling to himself a bit before kissing her forehead and falling asleep soon thereafter.


	2. Chapter 2

The next few days were filled with small meetings with people who would take part in the wedding. While Ren spent a year in his hometown of Inaba a few years back, he befriended the original Detective Prince, Naoto Shirogane(though she didn’t address herself by that name anymore) and her husband, Kanji Tatsumi. Their daughter, Michiko, would be the flower girl. Ren thought it would be perfect, since he helped around the shop and watched Michiko as a baby from time to time. Since then, they had another child. A small boy, who they named Seto. The little girl was now almost four years old, and was so excited to help. Ren and Makoto thought this was absolutely precious, and were looking forward to having the little one be a part of their wedding. The group of them had gone to Leblanc to talk about the arrangements for the wedding and to just relax a bit with them. 

“I’m so glad that you were able to make it all the way here from Inaba.” Ren said to them, picking up Michiko. “Hey, you!” 

The little girl giggled, hugging him. “Hi, Ren!” 

Naoto smiled, looking at her daughter. “Well, I mean we still have to keep an eye on you.” She teased, looking up at Kanji. 

“Hey, you’ve done a lot for us. We are happy to do this for you.” Kanji replied, tickling Michiko lightly and making her giggle. 

Makoto smiled, standing beside Ren and looking at the small child. “Hi, cutie. I’m so happy you can be a part of our wedding.” 

Michiko smiled, nodding happily. “I’m so happy too!” She said, giggling. She was such a happy little girl. 

Ren smiled, putting the child down and smiling, Michiko going back to her parents with a wide smile. 

Kanji chuckled lightly, smiling before picking her up and kissing her cheeks. “We should get going. You said the rehearsal was tomorrow, right?” 

Makoto nodded, smiling before taking Ren’s hand. “That’s right, around 5 in the evening. You’re more than welcome to come to the dinner afterwards as well.” She offered, smiling at them. 

Naoto gave a little nod, smiling. “We may just take you up on that offer.” She said, looking down at the infant in his car seat. He was still sleeping soundly, even with all of the things going on around him. 

Ren smiled a bit, looking down at small Seto. “He’s so cute, I am so happy for you guys.” He said, squeezing Makoto’s hand. She had been fawning over the little one since they arrived, even if she didn’t say it specifically. 

“He’s absolutely precious!” Makoto said, giving Ren’s hand a light squeeze back before looking back up at him. “Is… it difficult?” Makoto asked, looking at Naoto. 

Naoto smiled a bit, rubbing the infant’s head. “He’s actually a little bit easier than Michiko was. Which says a lot, because she wasn’t much trouble at all for the most part.” She said, looking at her children. “I suppose it depends on the children.” 

“That makes sense…” Makoto said, resting against Ren’s shoulder. She has had baby fever for the past few years, ever since Ren video called her from Tatsumi Textiles while he was watching Michiko when she was a baby. 

Ren smiled gently, kissing her forehead. “We want to have one, but not right now.” He said, holding Makoto’s hand tightly. 

Kanji nodded, glancing at Naoto. “That’s smart. We didn’t have Michiko for a couple years after we were married…” 

“We will have to see where life takes us. I want to at least graduate before having a baby.” Makoto stated, just staring at the little one in front of her. 

“Focus on your schooling for now.” Naoto said, looking at her. “It’s much easier to focus on a child when you don’t have that in the way.” 

Makoto nodded, smiling a little. “Yes, that makes perfect sense.” She said before looking at Naoto. “Do… you mind if I hold him?” 

The blue-haired woman smiled before nodding. “I don’t see why not.” She said, carefully unbuckling him and gently handing the infant over to her, Makoto taking him carefully. 

“Oh my god… he’s so precious…” she said, staring at the little one in her arms. “Hi there, sweetheart.” 

Little Seto soon opened his eyes, rubbing them and looking up at this new person with curiosity before making a small noise up at her. 

Makoto’s heart just fluttered. He was just too cute! “Hello! Ren, look! He woke up!” She said, smiling wide. 

Ren couldn’t seem to quite catch his breath. With the sunlight in her hair and her sweet expression as she held Seto, Makoto looked like the Sayuri. And finally, he understood the true beauty Yusuke had been seeking all this time. “Beautiful,” he breathed, his voice catching in his throat.

Makoto smiled at him, playing a bit with the baby’s small hands. “Seto-kun~,” she said gently, just loving the feeling of a baby in her arms. “You’re such a handsome little guy, aren’t you? You’re such a cute little baby…” she trailed off, just staring at him. She wanted to have a baby so badly, but she knew she had to finish school first. Finish school, then think about a family. 

“He seems to like you.” Naoto said, smiling softly and looking at her son. “I think you’ll make a wonderful mother someday, Makoto-san.” 

“You think so?!” Makoto seemed almost startled by that statement. Did she really seem like she would be a good mother? She looked at Ren for a bit of support, as if asking for a confirmation. 

“Oh yes,” Ren agreed, finally finding his voice. “You’re always so great around kids, Mako. You’ll be an amazing mother.”

Makoto blushed deeply, looking down at the babbling infant in her arms before looking back at Naoto. “Thank you, it really means a lot for me to hear that.” 

Naoto smiled a bit before nodding. “Of course. From my observations, it’s quite clear that you will.” She said before looking over at Michiko, who had managed to climb up on a stool at the counter and was peeking over to see what was going on. “Michi-chan… be careful, now. We don’t want you to get hurt or disturb anyone…” she said, looking at her. 

Michiko looked back at her mother before nodding a bit. She was a curious child, and liked knowing everything going on around her. “Okay, mama,” she said, looking over to see what the man behind the counter was doing. 

Sojiro glanced up from his work and smiled at the kid. “Hey, kiddo,” he said easily. “Wanna learn how to make coffee?”

“Bit young for that, isn’t she?” Ren asked with a crooked smile. 

“No such thing as too young to learn to appreciate coffee.” Sojiro tossed a towel at Ren.

“Do you want to see, Little Detective?” Kanji asked his daughter, smiling to himself. This little nickname always made Naoto smile. After all, it was in her blood. 

Michiko smiled wide, nodding. “Yes!” She said enthusiastically, looking back up at Sojiro. She seemed to warm up to him rather quickly. This wasn’t an uncommon thing for her, but it was nice for her parents to see her get along with adults. 

“Come on around,” Sojiro beckoned, grabbing a tall bar chair and bringing it around so she would have something to sit on. “I’ll show you how to pick the right beans for a blend,”

Kanji helped Michiko get down before she zoomed behind the counter and up on the chair, making her parents laugh lightly at her enthusiasm. 

Makoto looked up from the baby for a moment to look at Ren, smiling and looking at the small child. She was absolutely adorable! With her cute little dress and hair bow, she looked like a little doll. 

Walking to Makoto, Ren wrapped his arms around her waist, looking down at the baby in her arms. “You’ve got it bad,” he murmured in her ear, keeping his voice soft enough for her ears only.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She said quietly, smiling at the baby. 

“Sure,” Ren chuckled. “Not even the slightest clue.”

Makoto knew exactly what he was talking about. She didn’t want to admit how badly she wanted a baby, but it was so painfully obvious. “Let’s just get married first…” she said, speaking softly and playing with the little one’s hand. “Then we talk?” 

Ren smiled, nodding in agreement. He looked at little Seto, offering his finger to him. “Hey, little guy. Looks like I might have some competition for Mako’s love.” He teased, smiling and glancing at Makoto, making her give him an eye roll. 

“Well, he has you beat in cuteness.” Makoto teased back, smirking to herself. 

“Hey now, let’s not go that far. We are getting married the day after tomorrow, after all.” Ren said, winking at her. 

Makoto smiled a bit, nodding. “Yes, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. But, this little guy is just too cute!” She said, cuddling the baby gently. 

“Yeah, he is that…” Ren said, still so taken by the sight of Makoto holding a baby. Everything about it just seemed so right to him. 

Naoto glanced back at them with a smile. She just knew that the two of them would make such good parents, and had a hunch that it would happen sooner than later. 

Michiko was just so interested in everything that was going on, making her best attempt to remember everything that Sojiro was telling her. She was bright for her age, but she was still just a four year old girl. Little Michiko watched him with bright eyes, occasionally looking back at her parents with them smiling back at her. 

Sojiro smiled at the child, patting her head. “Don’t worry, kiddo, it’s not like there will be a test involved with this.” He said, looking over at Ren. 

Ren could feel his gaze on him as he looked back over. “Why did you look at me when you said that?” He asked, an arm still wrapped around Makoto. 

“Because, for you, there might be. I expect you to remember this stuff. Don’t disappoint me.” He said, his attention turning back to the little girl. “Your Mama and Papa seem to like this, though. They have good taste.” 

Naoto smiled a bit, nodding. “It’s lovely, thank you so much.” 

Kanji agreed, also smiling and watching his daughter. “Yeah. It’s really good, thanks. Even if she’s not quite ready to drink the stuff, she really seems to be likin’ this.” He said, smiling more. He was always happy to see his daughter taking interest in something new. 

“She’s a clever kid.” Sojiro said, looking back at Michiko and smiling. “Thanks for taking care of him, by the way.” He said, gesturing to Ren. 

“We didn’t do that much.” Kanji said, laughing lightly. “We just kept an eye on him and made sure he didn’t break himself too badly is all.” He looked up, looking at Ren with a pretty serious look. “But we couldn’t exactly stop him for doing what he did.” 

“I still haven’t completely forgiven you for that, by the way!” Makoto said to Ren. She hated it when he got so reckless. 

Ren winced a little, hearing that from both of them. “I know, and I’m sorry.” He said, sighing. “But I did what needed to be done.” 

“You may have,” Naoto started, resting her chin on her hand. “But risking your life isn’t exactly something we can fully forgive you for. After all, I had just started warming up to you. You’re so much like Yu-kun…” she said, sighing a bit. “The similarities are just so strong in that sense.” 

Ren cracked a small smile. “The Wild Cards tend to be very similar in a lot of cases.” He looked down at his hands for a moment. “I can’t ask for forgiveness. But I did what I had to, to save my dad. To get my mom out of the hell she was living in. I…” He sighed. “One trait that Wild Cards tend to share is the inability to stand back when we can help. I’m sorry I hurt you all, and scared you so badly. But I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t at least try.”

Naoto nodded, understanding where he was coming from. “I know, and that’s an admirable trait. But please, if you’re going to do something that reckless again, think about the people who care for you. At least now we know that everyone is safe and in a good place…” she said. She remembered when Ren told her about his former stepfather, and the horrible way that he was treating Ren’s mother. She made sure that she did everything in her power to set things straight for them, making it so that they could live without the fear of his horrible stepfather. Now, with him behind bars and Ren’s father home, everything had set back into place. 

“Hopefully, we don’t ever need to do anything like that again.” Ren squeezed Makoto gently. “The war is over. We won. And now, we celebrate.”

Makoto nodded in agreement. “Exactly. Now, we just focus on the rest of our lives.” She said with a smile before carefully handing the baby back to his mother. 

Naoto took him back gently, smiling. “We should probably get going here soon.” She said, looking at Kanji. 

Kanji nodded, agreeing with her. “Yeah, it’s getting pretty late.” He said, glancing over at Michiko. “This has been nice, though.” He said before looking back at Ren and Makoto. “We’ll see you tomorrow.” 

“Until tomorrow!” Ren agreed with a cheerful grin. He kissed Makoto firmly before going over to Sojiro. “Mind if I brew us up a cup? I could use the caffeine.”

“What, don’t want me makin’ it for you?” Sojiro grunted with a twinkle in his eye.

“Didn’t want to put you to any trouble,” Ren returned with an answering twinkle.

“Isn’t any trouble. Sit down, take a load off, I’ll make you two coffee.”

Makoto smiled, giving a nod before sitting down with Ren at the counter. “I can’t even begin to tell you how much it means to us that you’ll be the one who will wed all of us.” She said, taking her fiancés hand. 

“It’s no trouble at all,” Sojiro said, giving her a warm smile. “You guys are my kids, for all intents and purposes. Of course I’m gonna be part of your day.”

Makoto nearly felt like she was going to cry. She was just so happy that everything was turning out so well after everything that happened years before. She squeezed Ren’s hand, looking up at him. 

“You’re basically my dad,” Ren said, squeezing Makoto’s hand in reply before looking at his fiancé with a warm smile. “And there’s no one else I’d rather have officiating and starting us off on our married life together.”

Makoto smiled, leaning in and kissing Ren gently. “I couldn’t have said it better, my love.” 

“Getting all mushy on us,” Sojiro grumbled, but he had a soft smile on his face, belying the comment. 

Everything was coming together, and they all couldn’t wait for the day to finally come. Everything just felt right. Perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

Perfect wasn’t exactly the word that they would use right now. On the day of the wedding, everyone seemed to be running around like chickens who had their heads cut off. Not only was everything finally coming together all at once, but everyone was so busy doing their last minute preparations for the wedding. The wedding was set to take place in a nice hotel, and the reception would be held in one of their ballrooms. 

The girls had one massive ready room, with their dresses waiting for them on mannequins while makeup artists worked on them. “Glamorous,” Ann remarked with a laugh, shooting Makoto a sideways look. She was somewhat used to people putting makeup on her face, with her modeling career. Makoto, though...this would be new for her.

Makoto wasn’t at all used to this, since she hardly wore makeup. If at all. However, this was a special occasion, and she would do it for this. She looked back to Ann before giving a small smile. “Does it look okay?” She asked, seemingly nervous about the whole thing. 

Ann smiled, nodding. “Okay doesn’t even begin to describe it! You’re gorgeous, Makoto-chan!” She said, smiling ear to ear. Ann was just so excited about this that she could hardly contain herself. 

Makoto nodded, giving a gentle smile in return. “Thank you. You look so beautiful too.” She said before looking at herself in the mirror. This was it, today they were getting married. She could hardly believe it. 

Before long, the two had put their dresses on and had their hair all done. Ann had hers half up, flowers put in to match their color schemes. Makoto wore hers like it almost always was, since there wasn’t much to work with to begin with. 

“Hardly feels real,” Ann admitted, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. “Goodness, I’m shaking a little.”

Makoto nodded a bit in agreement. “Yeah, I know what you mean…” she said, wrapping her arms around herself a bit. “I’m a bit nervous, even though I’m so happy.” She smiled sadly, looking at her. “I just wish my mother and father were here to see this…”

Ann wrapped her arms around her friend, not caring about the hair and makeup for the moment. “I know,” she said softly. “I wish they could be, too. They’d love to see you so happy with Ren. But I’m positive they know, and they’re happy for you.”

Outside the room, Sae paused, closing her eyes and pressing her hand over her heart. God, she missed their parents. She’d done her best to be what her sister needed, but of course no one could replace their parents. Blowing out a breath, she tapped lightly on the door. “Ladies?” she called. “How are we doing?”

Makoto took a deep breath, hugging her friend and doing her best not to start crying before turning to the door. “We are okay in here. You can come in if you want, Sis.” She called, smiling a little. 

Sae came in, smiling at the girls. She was wearing a beautiful black sheath dress with a red rose pinned into her hair, so she matched the theme as well. “You two are absolutely breathtaking,” she said, kissing Makoto’s cheek and squeezing Ann’s hand. 

“So are you!” Makoto said, smiling and hugging her sister tight. “I still can’t believe that it’s finally here.” She said, looking at Sae. “Thank you, for accepting to be the one to give me away…” 

“Of course,” Sae said, drinking in the sight of her sister, so radiant and beautiful on her wedding day. “It’s my pleasure; Ren-kun is a good man, and I know you two will be happy together.”

Makoto felt like she was going to cry, but she was doing her best not to. “Thank you, Sis. It really means so much to hear you say that.” She said, breathing deeply. 

Cupping her sister’s cheek in a gentle hand, Sae stroked Makoto’s cheekbone. “Look at you,” she said softly. “All grown up and marrying the man of your dreams. You’ve done well, little sister.”

With that, Makoto just couldn’t contain it anymore. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at her sister, a few escaping her eyes and falling down her cheeks. “Sis… I…” she couldn’t even form a sentence, as she was just filled with so many emotions. Happiness, fear, sadness, all of them at once. Makoto looked at Sae before hugging her tight, about to start sobbing. 

Wrapping her arms around Makoto, Sae rested her cheek gently on her sister’s hair, rocking unconsciously from foot to foot like she used to do when she held Makoto as a baby. “Shh,” she murmured. “It’s all right, Makoto. It’s all right. I love you.”

“I love you too.” Makoto said, looking up at her sister before smiling. This just meant so much to her, that her sister was there for her like this. 

“You two are just the best,” Ann enthused, her eyes shining with delight. Makoto had told them about the difficulties they’d gone through during the year of the Phantom Thieves, and Sae’s steady decline into injustice. So to see the two of them like this was such a treasure. 

“We have our moments,” Sae chuckled, gently wiping away one of Makoto’s tears. “You have excellent makeup artists; hardly anything ran or smeared.”

Makoto laughed lightly at this, nodding. “Yeah, I guess so.” She said smiling. “What time is it?” She asked, a little concerned now. Makoto wasn’t keeping track of the time, so she had no idea if they were still on schedule or not. 

“It’s not like they’ll start without us!” Ann laughed.

“That is true, but punctuality will alleviate some nerves,” Sae said, looking at her watch. “We have about fifteen minutes until the beginning. I would recommend gathering with your wedding party, and I’ll go check on the boys. I’ll be right back.”

Makoto nodded, smiling a bit before doing her best to compose herself. “Alright, thank you!” She said, looking at her before looking back over at Ann. 

“Let’s get the makeup tidied a bit,” Ann suggested, grabbing her friend’s hand and pulling her back to the makeup mirror. “Then we can meet with everyone.”

Chuckling to herself, Sae slipped out, heading for the boys’ ready room. “Guys?” she asked, tapping lightly on the doorframe. “Are you decent?”

The two had been talking, since they had been ready for a little bit now. Ryuji looked up, straightening up a little. “Yeah, you can come in.” He said, standing up and looking at Ren. 

“Well, look at the two of you,” Sae said, letting herself in and looking the young men over. “Very dapper.”

“Thanks,” Ren said, smiling self-consciously and fighting back the urge to run his fingers through his hair. He had it tamed with pomade and a good comb, and he didn’t want to run the risk of ruining it.

Sae smiled a bit to herself before walking over to Ren. “Here, I have something for you.” She said, reaching into her bag for something. 

“Oh?” Ren asked, surprised by the comment. 

Sae smiled before pulling out a small object and placing it in Ren’s hand, closing his fingers around it. 

It only took him a moment to know what it was. It was a ring. But, why would she be giving this to him, he wondered. 

“This was our mother’s wedding ring.” She told him, smiling lightly to herself. “I think that it’s only right that Makoto has this.” 

Ren’s mouth dropped open, and he looked down at his closed fist. “I...Sae, are you sure? This is…” he sputtered to a stop, swallowing hard. “Thank you.”

Sae nodded, smiling gently at him. “I know you will take care of her, and make her happy.” She said, looking at him. “Now, it’s almost time to go. Are you ready?” 

“I think so,” Ren agreed. “Ryuji?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, I guess.” Ryuji said, looking at himself one more time to straighten up. “Yeah, I’m ready.” 

Ren held up a hand, grinning at his friend. “Up top; we’re getting married today, bro.”

Ryuji smiled, giving his friend a high-five before hugging him. “Yeah, we are.” He said with a smile as he began to walk out. “Now or never, right?” 

“Today, or our fiancées will murder us in our sleep,” Ren chuckled, following his friend out. He paused, straightening his red vest as he glanced in the mirror. He hardly recognized the young man in the mirror, with his tamed hair and nice clothes. “It’s time,” he murmured.

Ryuji nodded, laughing a little at the remark. “Yeah, that’s true.” He said, looking at him. “We clean up pretty nice, though.” 

“We do,” Ren agreed with a chuckle. “It’ll be interesting to see what the girls think when they see us.”

“Honestly, I can’t wait to see them.” Ryuji admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Well, small spoiler, they are absolutely ravishing.” Sae stated, smiling to herself. “Now, you two get going.” 

Looking at Ryuji, Ren grinned. “C’mon, let’s get out of here. We have a wedding to attend.”

With that, the two were off and went to where the wedding would be held, waiting at the front. Their guests had already started gathering, and it was starting to set in that this was really happening. 

Ren tucked his hands behind his back, feeling the ring press comfortingly into his palm. He had no idea what it looked like yet; he was going to wait until it was on Makoto’s finger before he took a look.

The wedding parties gathered behind the double doors, lined up in their appropriate order. Ann looked over at Makoto, her eyes shining. “Almost time,” she whispered.

Makoto nodded, taking a deep breath and smiling. “Yeah.” She said, looking at her friend. “I’m kind of shaking, I’m nervous yet I’m so excited.” 

“Me too,” Ann agreed. She reached over, grabbing Makoto’s hand and holding it tightly. 

Makoto gave a light smile, gently squeezing her hand. “It’s almost time, now.” She said, looking down at the floor for a moment. This was it, they were getting married today. She could still hardly believe it. 

“I wonder who all is here,” Ann said. “It’s going to be a heck of a party.” Their wedding parties were small, but meaningful, with Michiko standing right in front of the two brides. She was wearing the most adorable dress her father had made for her, and she bounced from foot to foot, giggling to herself.

Makoto giggled lightly to herself, watching the child. She knelt down, smiling at her. “It’s almost time, sweetheart. Are you ready?” She asked, a gentle look in her eyes. 

Michiko smiled, nodding. “Yes!” She said, giggling and bouncing excitedly. She was just too adorable! 

Ann slipped her mobile out and quickly took a few pictures of Makoto and Michiko. “Good lord, you two are just too precious,” she said, showing the photos to Makoto as she knelt next to her friend and the adorable child.

Michiko smiled at the two, looking up at them. “You’re so pretty!” She said to them, her sincerity and childhood innocence just shining through. 

Makoto smiled, gently patting her head as she was careful not to mess up her done hair. “Well, you look very pretty also.” She said, just smiling ear to ear. 

“Mako, they’re opening the doors,” Ann said, looking up. She stood up and offered her friend a hand. “It’s time.”

Makoto took her hand, standing slowly and nodding. “Yes, it’s time.” She said with a smile before taking a breath. This was it. Makoto looked at her sister, who gently held onto her arm. “I’m ready.” 

Ann looked at her father, who was wiping a tear away and clearing his throat. “My girl,” he said with a sigh. 

The doors opened, and the music started, indicating that it was time for the wedding party to start. The paired bridesmaids and groomsmen led the way, walking down the short aisle to join Ren and Ryuji at the head of the hall.

This was it. Ren stood up straighter, swallowing hard. He was surrounded by family and friends who were as close as family, and he was about to marry the love of his life. He caught Naoto’s eye as she winked at him and mouthed ‘don’t pass out’.

Ryuji smiled a bit at Ren before he caught a glimpse of his mother, who was already starting to cry. His heart was racing. He was getting married, right now. To one of his childhood friends, and the love of his life. He promised that he would always be there for her, and be the best that he could be, and today was going to solidify that. 

The bridal party finished walking down the aisle, and Michiko came bouncing out onto the red carpet, sprinkling white and red rose petals along her path as she walked toward Ren with the most adorable smile on her face. Ren grinned back at her, beckoning her with the hand that wasn’t holding the ring.

Michiko gave him a sweet smile as she walked over to him, following the directions that she was given on where to stand. 

Behind her, the two brides walked closer. Stunning couldn’t even begin to describe them. 

Ryuji’s eyes locked on Ann, as he almost felt the urge to start crying. Was this real? He almost couldn’t believe that this was happening, and how gorgeous his bride was. 

Ren stared at Makoto, his heart stopping in his chest. She was stunning, and he suddenly understood why Naoto had reminded him not to pass out; he felt a little lightheaded, looking at his beautiful bride-to-be. “Oh,” he whispered, taking a deep, deliberate breath.

Ann floated up the aisle, her eyes locked on Ryuji. He had become her entire world at that moment, as she drank in the look on his face and how handsome he looked in that suit of his.

Tears filled Makoto’s eyes as she looked at Ren. From his hair being done to the suit he was wearing, everything was just so perfect; to her, this almost felt like a dream. Was it a dream? If it was, Makoto hoped that she would never wake up. She was so happy in this moment, she wanted it to last forever. Though, this was only the beginning. 

When the party reached the front, Sae and Ann’s father put Ann and Makoto’s hands into the hands of their grooms. Sae bent, kissing Makoto’s cheek. “I love you, little sister,” she said softly before taking her seat.

Makoto looked at her sister, her eyes welled up with tears as she smiled and nodded before looking up at Ren. She gently squeezed his hand, as she was ready for this now. 

Ryuji couldn’t take his eyes off of his bride, she was just so gorgeous. He glanced over at Ren and Makoto for a moment, smiling to himself before his gaze returned to Ann. 

Ren laced his fingers with Makoto. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her breathless, to see her laugh and blush. But for now, this was good. She was absolutely gorgeous, radiant in her dress. “Love you,” he whispered.

Sojiro cleared his throat at the two couples, raising an eyebrow as he waited for their attention. “Whenever you lovebirds are ready,” he chuckled.

Ryuji blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. Right, the wedding still had to actually happen. He looked over, smiling and giving a nod. 

Makoto smiled, turning to Sojiro. She gave a subtle nod before looking up at Ren. 

“Dearly beloved,” Sojiro began, opening the book they were working from for this wedding. It was a beautifully printed and bound custom book, with a subtly embossed version of the Phantom Thieves logo on the spine. “We are gathered here today to witness the joining of these two couples in holy matrimony. Ren Amamiya and Makoto Niijima, and Ryuji Sakamoto and Ann Takamaki.” He turned to look at Sae. “Sae Niijima. Do you accept Ren Amamiya into your family, as the groom of your sister?”

Sae rose, smiling at the young couple. “I do,” she replied.

Makoto smiled, looking at her sister before squeezing Ren’s hand and looking back up at him. 

“Mamoru and Hana Amamiya,” Sojiro continued, looking at Ren’s parents. “Do you accept Makoto Niijima into your family, as the bride of your son?”

They rose; Hana was already wiping her eyes with a handkerchief as they replied, “We do.”

Sojiro turned to Ann’s parents and asked, “Hayato and Adriana Takamaki, do you accept Ryuji Sakamoto into your family, as the groom of your daughter?”

Ann’s parents were both striking in appearance, dressed in the finest fashion. Ann had inherited her mom’s blonde hair and blue eyes, with her father’s lean strength. “We do,” they said.

Last, but not least, Sojiro turned to Ryuji’s mom and asked, “Akiko Sakamoto, do you accept Ann Takamaki into your family, as the bride of your son?”

Ryuji’s mom stood up, beaming with pride as she looked at her son and his bride at the front of the hall. “I do,” she said, her voice soft and warm. 

Ryuji looked at his mother, smiling from ear to ear. It meant so much for him to hear that, and he was determined to make her proud. 

“Ladies and gentlemen assembled here, you have been invited to stand witness to the union of these two couples,” Sojiro said, looking at the audience as a whole. “You were invited because of your significance in their lives; you have supported, loved, and encouraged these young people in their path thus far. Do you promise to continue to support them, to love them, and to encourage them as they take their first steps into married life?”

The audience rose, and Ren looked out at the assembled. He knew almost everyone in the seats. They were the confidants he’d spent so much time with during that year in Tokyo, the Investigation Team, his friends, and his family. He could feel the love radiating from them as they responded, “We do.”

“Thank you,” Ren said softly, looking at everyone. “Please take a seat; make yourselves comfortable.”

Once everyone was sitting again, Sojiro turned to the young couples. “The couples have written their own vows, and this is the first time any of them will hear the other’s words.” He passed the mic to Ryuji; they’d agreed that the couples would take turns being first in specific parts of the ceremony.

Ryuji smiled, taking the mic before taking a deep breath and looking at his bride before taking a folded paper out of his pocket. He had written them down, but he then put it back in his pocket. “I don’t need this paper to say how I feel,” he said before taking her hand. “Ann, we’ve known each other for a long time now. We’ve been through so much together, both good and bad, that sometimes I think you know me better than I do,” he said, chuckling to himself a bit. “I still don’t know how I ended up getting someone as wonderful as you, but I wouldn’t change that for the world. I promise that I’ll be the best husband that I can be, and I promise that I will be there for you. No matter what, you can always count on me to be right by your side. I love you, Ann, and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.” Ryuji could feel tears welling up in his eyes, but he didn’t care. At this very moment, he was just so happy. He loved her, and they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. 

“Oh, you’re awful,” Ann whispered, her voice shaking as she looked up at the ceiling, blinking away tears. “I love you so much, that was…” She had to stop, blowing out a breath.

“Whenever you’re ready,” Sojiro murmured, smiling at her. This was their day, after all.

Ann took a moment to collect herself before squeezing Ryuji’s hands. “Ryuji,” she said, taking the mic so everyone could hear her. She had written her vows and memorized them; for just a moment, she was afraid she’d lost the words she’d worked so hard on, but then they came back to her. “You are unspeakably precious to me. We’ve been friends for such a long time, and somewhere in there, I fell in love with you and realized I couldn’t imagine my life without you. You make me laugh, you hold me when I cry, and you’ve stood by my side during some of the hardest moments in my life.” She swallowed, blinking back tears as she smiled at him. “I promise to stand by your side for the rest of our lives. Where you go, I also will go, and where you stay, I also will stay.” She grinned at him. “And I promise, no matter what, to never stop teasing you about the dolphin.”

The audience laughed, and Ann squeezed his hand. “I love you, Ryuji, and I’m thrilled to become your wife.”

A few tears fell from Ryuji’s eyes, but he had a smile on his face. “I love you so much.” He said, wiping the tears away from his eyes. “And I know you won’t.” He said, laughing shakily and squeezing her hands. He had to resist the urge to just take her in his arms right there. 

Sojiro smiled as he looked at the two of them. “Hang on, it’s almost that time,” he promised. “Ren, Makoto?”

Ren cleared his throat, looking into Makoto’s eyes. “What, I have to follow teasing about dolphins?” he asked, his voice husky. “Well, I’ll do my best.” Squeezing her hand, Ren blew out a breath. “Makoto Niijima. You were one of the few people who believed in me when the rest of the world thought the worst of me. We’ve been through a lot together, right up to the edge of the end of the world, and you were by my side through it all. Your strength, your dedication, your beauty...I don’t know how I ever came to deserve your love, but I hope I keep doing it for the rest of our lives.” His eyes were brimming with tears behind his glasses, but he wasn’t quite crying just yet. “In all of the world, there is no heart for me like yours. And in all of the world, there is no love for you like mine. I swear to stand by your side all of our lives, to laugh with you, to hold you when you cry, to challenge you to be even more than you are, to treasure your precious heart and mind, and to turn the manga the right way up for you when you’re pretending to read.” He smiled at her, tears escaping the corners of his eyes. “Your Joker stands ready to serve, honor, and treasure his Queen, for the rest of our lives.”

Makoto had tears running down her face. How could she not? She loved him so much, and his words went right to her heart. “Ren…” She was at a loss for words, but she smiled at him before composing herself. Makoto took a deep breath, looking up at him. “At first, I didn’t know what to think about you. I had heard the rumors about you, but I wasn’t sure what to think. I guess it took a little bit of stalking to see how decent of a person you were,” she teased, smiling a bit. She was doing her best not to just start crying. “You have a wonderful heart, and you do what you believe is right. Even if you decide to risk your own life, you are driven to find the truth and bring justice to those who can’t get it for themselves. I promise to stay by your side. To be there for you, no matter what happens. As it’s said, ‘for better or for worse’. I promise to love you, forever. To be the best wife and mother to your future children,” she said, looking up at him with a slight blush on her face. “A Queen needs her King, but my King is a Joker. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives together, and I’m so excited for it to start.”

“Mako,” Ren whispered, tears escaping him as he tried his best to keep from blubbering. “God, I love you. So much.”

Makoto smiled up at him, looking at their friends beside them. Everything seemed so perfect right now, it was almost unreal. 

Sojiro took a moment to make sure they were done before nodding. “Just as a circle has no beginning or end, so your love for each other will continue through the ages,” he said. “At this time, you will exchange rings to symbolize your faithful, undying love.” He turned to Ren and Makoto. “Do you have the rings?”

Haru stepped forward then; she’d been entrusted with Ren’s ring to give Makoto. Smiling at her friend, she passed the ring to Makoto. “With all of my heart and my blessing,” she said softly. 

Morgana, who was Ren’s best man, nodded at him. Originally, the ring would be attached to the little red bow tie he was wearing. He had heard about the change in plan, but was happy about it. Ren nodded at him, slipping his hand into his jacket pocket and palming the ring Sae had given him.

Makoto blinked in slight confusion. Ren had the ring in his pocket? What was that about? She looked at Yusuke, blinking a bit more with a puzzled look. 

Ren winked at her. “Don’t worry,” he murmured. 

Ryuji smiled a bit, looking over at them. He had the ring for Ann in his hand as he looked at her, ready to give it to her. 

Makoto looked at Ren. She trusted him, but was still confused. She wasn’t used to plans changing like this, and if they did she wanted to know about it. 

Ann smiled at the look on Makoto’s face. She didn’t know what had changed, but she was used to Ren being impulsive and changing things up. At the least, she knew Ren had a habit of making things a little more poignant when he went with his heart. She accept Ryuji’s ring from Shiho with a smile, then turned her attention to Ren and Makoto; it was their turn to go first.

Sojiro waited for the kids to settle down a bit, giving Ren a raised eyebrow. Then he flipped a page in the book and said, “Ren, repeat after me. I, Ren Amamiya…”

“I, Ren Amamiya,” Ren repeated, carefully turning the ring with his fingertips without revealing it.

“Take you, Makoto Niijima, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“Take you, Makoto Niijima, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

Ren revealed the ring in his fingertips, holding it up between them so Makoto could see it for a split second before he slipped it onto her finger, repeating, “I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.” Thank God, it fit perfectly. Sae must have had it sized for her sister somehow.

Makoto looked at the ring on her finger and almost started to sob; she recognized it as her glance went from Ren, to her sister, back to Ren. “This is…” She said quietly, taking a deep breath. 

“Your mother’s,” Ren agreed softly. “A promise that she’ll always watch over you, and us.”

Makoto could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but they ended up just falling down. “Guess you need your ring too, though.” She said, smiling. She wanted to break the tension she felt a little, not wanting to start sobbing right there in front of everyone. 

Breaking protocol a little, Ren leaned forward and kissed one of the tears away. “I’d like that,” he murmured. “My hand has felt a bit naked without a ring on it.” He’d taken the engagement ring off and left it in the ready room while getting his hair done; they’d figure out later what to do with his engagement ring, since it wasn’t part of a set.

Makoto smiled up at him before turning her attention to Sojiro, giving a small nod. 

Sojiro waited a moment to make sure everyone was ready before continuing, “Makoto, repeat after me. I, Makoto Niijima…”

“I, Makoto Niijima...” 

“Take you, Ren Amamiya, to be my lawfully wedded husband.”

“Take you, Ren Amamiya, to be my lawfully wedded husband.” 

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

Ren looked down at his hand as Makoto slipped the ring into place. For just a moment, he was back in Sae’s living room, sitting on the sofa as Makoto put the engagement ring on his finger. Delight thrilled through him, and he caught his breath as he looked up at Makoto. 

Makoto smiled at him, holding his hands before looking over at Ryuji and Ann. Now, they would be exchanging their rings, and they would all be married. 

Sojiro turned his attention to Ryuji and Ann, smiling affectionately at them. “Ryuji, repeat after me. I, Ryuji Sakamoto…”

“I, Ryuji Sakamoto...” 

“Take you, Ann Takamaki, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“Take you, Ann Takamaki, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

Ann admired the ring on her hand, turning it a little so it caught the light just so. It looked amazing on her hand, and something inside her settled comfortably into place as she looked up at Ryuji, who was smiling at her.

Sojiro nodded as he glanced at the ring in Ann’s hand. “Ann, repeat after me. I, Ann Takamaki…”

“I, Ann Takamaki…”

“Take you, Ryuji Sakamoto, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“Take you, Ryuji Sakamoto, to be my lawfully wedded wife.”

“I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

She slipped the ring onto Ryuji’s finger, smiling up at him as she repeated softly, “I give you this ring to wear as a symbol of my abiding love, my eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.”

Ryuji smiled at her, squeezing her hands gently as he gazed into her eyes. He was just so lost in this moment, that everything else seemed to fade away. 

“By the power vested in me, I proclaim you husband and wife,” Sojiro said, looking between the couples. “Gentlemen, you may kiss your brides.”

Glancing over Makoto’s shoulder at Ryuji, Ren said, “Hey, Skull. Team-up.” And with that, he wrapped his arms around Makoto’s waist, dipping her into a dancer’s bend as he kissed her deeply.

As this happened, Makoto blushed and kissed him back. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she smiled against his lips. “Well played, Joker.” She said softly. 

At the same time that Ren did that to Makoto, Ryuji did the same thing to Ann. After he kissed her, he smiled, looking at her before picking her up. “So, looks like we are going to be a team forever now, Panther.” He said with a goofy little smile on his face. 

“Forever and ever,” Ann agreed with a giggle. “No getting rid of me now, Skull.”

“I do like my dramatics,” Ren agreed with a smile, lifting Makoto back up to her feet. “Makes the moment a little more poignant.”

Makoto giggled a little, kissing his cheek and nodding. “It does,” she said, cupping his cheek in her hand. “And I love that about you.” 

“I love everything about you,” Ren said softly, looking into her eyes. “My Queen. My wife.”

Makoto blushed more, holding his hands. “Shall we?” She asked, looking over at Ann and Ryuji. 

“Hang on, lemme introduce you to everyone,” Sojiro said with a laugh. Then, holding the mic to his lips, he said, “Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you Ryuji and Ann Sakamoto, and Ren and Makoto Amamiya.”

Ryuji smiled, looking at Ann and kissing her again. “Now, are you ready, my beautiful wife?” Ryuji asked, still holding her. 

“Always and ever,” Ann agreed, leaning up and kissing him one more time for good measure. 

“My Queen?” Ren asked, lightly kissing her lips.

“I am as ready as I’ll ever be.” Makoto said, smiling at her husband and returning the kiss softly. 

Tucking Makoto’s arm into the crook of his, Ren winked at Ryuji before leading the way down the aisle. He consciously slowed his usual pace, not wanting Makoto to trip over her beautiful dress before the photographer had a chance to get the pictures.

Ryuji didn’t want to put Ann down just yet, so he carried her down the aisle smiling. He kissed her cheek again, holding her close. 

Ann squeaked as he picked her up, wrapped her arms around his neck and resting her head against his. 

Glancing back, Ren caught what was going on and grinned as he scooped Makoto up in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the double doors.

Makoto let out a small noise before a giggle as he picked her up. She smiled, wrapping her arms around her husband as he carried her. 

The two couples reconvened outside the double doors as the rest of the wedding party caught up with them. “Oh my God, it’s real now!” Ann exclaimed, looking at the ring on her finger. 

“As real as it can possibly be,” Ren agreed with a grin as he looked up at his wife, still holding her in an easy carry.

Makoto smiled, resting her forehead against Ren’s. “Still, it almost feels like this is a dream.” 

“If this is a dream, then never let me wake from it,” Ren said softly, closing his eyes and holding her close.

Ryuji gave a nod, looking at Ann with a smile. “Now. I have to ask. Are you positive that you still want to be mine?” He teased, kissing her cheek once more. 

“Pretty effin’ sure,” Ann laughed, returning the kiss.

Makoto giggled lightly at the two, smiling before looking at Ren. This really did feel like a dream in a way. And if it was, she hoped she would never wake up. 

Ryuji smiled more, looking at Ren and Makoto. He was just so happy right now, he couldn’t explain. Everything was perfect, and he couldn’t believe how quickly it all came. 

Everything just seemed to be that. Perfect.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally, this work was supposed to be one chapter as somewhat of a kick off for other fics, but it ended up being over 50 pages long that we had to break it up.   
> The story idea belongs to Luna, with elements of Vana's own ideas and writing.


End file.
